TRF Parade

What started out looking to be a very bad morning for a parade, cleared up just enough and just in time for the event. When we arrived at 7:45, it was raining lightly - by 8:15 it was a steady downpour. We took refuge in Cindy's Diner and enjoyed some "garbage" while the worst of the storms passed.

Having not brought any umbrellas, Jody decided to make a quick run to Walgreen's before the parade began,, just to play it safe. She returned 15 minutes later with two beach umbrellas which we affixed to our chairs. Sandy Thompson commented on the set up as she walked by later "Looks like you guys were ready for this morning"!

Overall, turnout was extremely light - obviously due to the weather. Up until nearly the start of the parade, there was but a single line of viewers along streets which would normally have several rows of people packed in like sardines. The photo above was taken 30 minutes before the 10 AM start of the parade.

Mike and Bethany Montagano walked the crowds before the parade

"I Like Mike"

The Flintstones pass by

One of the FWPD's new 3-wheel patrols

Local blogger, Mark Carboni, was a grand marshal

Mayor Tom Henry and Sandy Kennedy

Police Chief Rusty York

Wayne Township Trustee Rick Stevenson

Ft.Wayne for Peace - Driven by Bruce Hall

Check out a slideshow of these and more on my Flickr page.

And. . .

Check out the News Sentinel's TRF blog.

Independence Dam State Park

Kevin Whaley recently posted a story about "One Tank Trips" and asked for suggestions of nearby attractions that hadn't been covered in his post or the article he referenced from FortWayneHompage.net. I immediately thought of one of my favorite spots across the border in Ohio, Independence Dam State Park. I got it into my head on Friday to take the family up to the Toledo Zoo this weekend, perhaps that seed was planted when I read Kevin's post. And Independence Dam IS on the way. . . I discovered this gem quite by acccident about 20 years back. Back in my single days, I used to spend many of my days off exploring neighboring counties just to see what I could find. That's how I came across Independence Dam.

The park runs along a seven-mile stretch of the Maumee River just east of Defiance, Ohio. It's unique in that it's a rather narrow park, maybe a quarter-mile at it's very widest, that is squeezed between the Maumee River on one side and the old Wabash & Erie Canal and the former US 24 (Now Ohio 424) on the other.



There is one entrance, and cars may traverse the park for only a short way in, perhaps a mile and a half. Beyond that, it's pedal power or hoofing it. By car, you can make it past the dam (pictured below), several pavilion areas and to a playground that's a favorite stop for my kids. I've never ventured far beyond that point thus far; but the explorer in me yearns to return and bike or hike the remainder of the park at some point in the future.



Right at the very entrance to the park is Lock #13 of the old canal. The dam itself was built to provide slack water for the canal, and was named for the nearby canal town of Independence. The existing dam on the Maumee River was completed in 1924. This cement dam replaced the original wooden dam which was built in the 1800s for the canal system. At the time of the rebuilding of the structure, several organizations expressed support for a park between the old canal bed and the river and the Ohio Department of Public Works purchased private lands to create the park. The bustling burg of Independence once rivaled Defiance in size, but died along with the canals in the mid 1800's.

From the flip side of the sign, I learned that this canal was on the trunk line of both the Miami & Erie and Wabash & Erie canals. The two canals joined together at a point some 15 miles southwest of this location. Clicking either of these sign pictures will bring the text up to an easily readable size.

This shot is of the canal, at the site of Lock #13, facing towards Toledo.

This shot, from the same location, faces towards Fort Wayne.

Here are a couple of shots of the Maumee River from the park. I'm not sure that the pictures do it justice, but it's simply amazing how wide the Maumee is here, a mere 50 miles or so from it's birth here in Fort Wayne.


I encourage you to experience this park for yourself! From Fort Wayne, travel east on US 24 to just past Defiance, Ohio. You'll need to exit at State Route 281, which is clearly marked "Independence Dam". 281 will take you to State Route 424 in less than one mile, and 424 east takes you to the park entrance in just under two miles. Expect about a one hour drive and, pack a picnic lunch, your cross-trainers or bicycles, and fishing tackle if you're so inclined. Oh! And if you have little ones, look for this area at the end of the drivable part of the park. . .

Local Treasures

A little over a week ago, Kevin Whaley ,published a post about Foster Park, the suspension bridge to be precise. I've enjoyed that site since I was a teenager a long long time ago, and have enjoyed sharing it with my kids as well. Today we made the trip there once more:

Samantha and Sabrina on the north end of the bridge

The bridge, looking north from the park side
A side view from a park trail

*Note to our out-of-town readers: Our rivers aren't actually dirty. They've always looked the way that they appear today; it's the local soil that colors them so muddily.

Views of the St.Mary's River from the bridge
One of many huge old sycamore trees along the riverbank

Just one of the many treasures to be found in our fair city. . .

"Good Times"

My daughter's future memories invoked my old ones:

My oldest daughter, Samantha, turned 8 yesterday. This year she wanted to have a skating party for the occasion, so my wife reserved a birthday party at Roller Dome South (pictured at left). Sam's been to RDS a few times for school parties and such; I hadn't been there since, to the best of my recollection, 1978 or so. That would have made me 14 years old at the time. I really don't recall being a roller skating fan - I think it was more along the lines if "that's where the girls hang out". . .

Walking in tonight, I was still amazed at the familiarity of the place after three decades and the handful of times that I had actually been there back in those days. I'm sure that the walls have been painted different colors and pinball games have morphed into video games, but it was still sort of nostalgic.

While the physical atmosphere seemed little different to my old eyes, the actual atmosphere of the place was quite changed. Although this may just be a generational thing. . . the music was 95% hip-hop or along those lines. As I don't normally hang out at roller rinks, I can't say with any certainty whether or not that is the current trend in such places. When last I had set foot into one, disco was the music du jour and, as skating, much like dancing, is all about what you can groove to, I was likely just the old guy out of his comfortable little pond. Still, I kept waiting for the DJ (Who I later discovered to also be the janitor) to play "Le Freak"!



Sam had a great time, and that's what matters. She was enthralled by my tales of skating in this very same rink so very long ago, in the way that only kids of a certain age can be before they grow old enough to find you boring, old-fashioned, and embarrassing. I'm sure it's a memory I will cherish before long. . .